What do you define "serious collecting" as.

[Stegotyranno420]

Obviously I do not anticipate this to be a one answer only thing. Rather just a discussion,  somewhat like a socratic seminar. I will start off.
I consider serious collecting as collecting every single company,  release, and variant possible.
Of course this can be modified into some ways, such as collecting only from one Figure Era, one Geological Period, or trying to find the best figure of each species possible.
I want to hear your guys' take on this subject.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

My inspiration was the original "serious collector" Don Glut.  Seeing his collection in the Midwich Dinosaur Shows, Prehistoric Times Magazine, ect.. really made me aware of just how much there was out there I had never saw before.

[stargatedalek]

Serious collecting is buying things that you like that you intend to keep. Simple as that. Whether you customize them, play with them, only get your favourite or are a completionist who buys entire lines, you're collecting if you buy things with the intent to.. well, collect them.

[Gwangi]

I think the biggest indicator of a serious collector is probably longevity. A lot of people dabble in various hobbies and then when the novelty wears off they move onto something else. That's not meant to be insulting. We're all probably guilty of it, I know I am. I was into model airplanes for a full year or more, and then I wasn't. Trying new things and seeing what sticks is how you get into hobbies in the first place. I've seen a lot of folks come around for a short while, collect, then sell off their entire collection never to be seen again. But if you've been consistently adding to your collection for a number of years, I would consider that serious. You might by every release in a given year, or only one or two, you might even take a break or two, but if you've made it past the honeymoon period, consider yourself a serious collector. Myself? I consider myself a serious, casual collector. Been collecting a long time now but my collection doesn't grow as rapidly as others and I'm far from a completist.

[Crackington]

Good question @Stegotyranno420 , and good comments. But what a high bar for serious collecting if the person had to collect every brand, release and variant. They would need very deep pockets and lots of space and sail perilously close to the hoarding wind!

I recall a Prehistoric Times interview from many years ago with a long term elderly collector who had an enormous collection full of rarities, which had spilled all over his house, including a giant Diplodocus model in his kitchen*.

He was asked if his wife minded all this, but then revealed that she had left him! I always wondered if the two were connected, was his collecting too serious and did he put it before his loved ones? It made me realise the importance of keeping things in perspective....


*Much bigger than the new Safari Patagotitan!

[Fembrogon]

As others are already describing in other words, I think "serious collecting" comes down to how committed/invested one is in it; and there can be multiple degrees of "seriousness" within one's habits.
I typically don't care about acquiring every single toy or figure from a given brand or series; but I have been actively buying and displaying dinosaur toys for probably a decade now, and certainly owned and played with such toys for much longer. I buy to keep 95% of the time, and even though most of my belongings are in storage at the time I'm typing this, I've held on to a large majority of the dinosaurs from my childhood, too. I'm seriously interested in prehistoric life, and my collecting habits are an extension of that interest.
In terms of degrees of seriousness, while I consider myself serious overall in my collecting, I'm more serious in some areas than others. For an example, I would consider myself a serious collector of Safari ltd, but a casual collector of Mattel. I don't have every Safari dinosaur ever, but I do have a LOT of them, and I'm much more active in following their new releases and building my collection of their toys than just about any other brand. Mattel, in contrast, is a brand I mostly buy on whims, usually when I notice they're on sale. I enjoy their toys, but I don't keep up with their releases very much anymore. If a specific toy of theirs catches my interest, I'll pay a little more attention; but I'm not prioritizing Mattel the way I might for Safari ltd - or PNSO or Eofauna, for other examples*.

*That said, even though I pay pretty close attention to PNSO and Eofauna, I tend to fall behind on acquiring their releases due to timing and budget issues - so maybe I'm semi-serious about these brands?

[UK]

Good question @Stegotyranno420 , and good comments. But what a high bar for serious collecting if the person had to collect every brand, release and variant. They would need very deep pockets and lots of space and sail perilously close to the hoarding wind!

I recall a Prehistoric Times interview from many years ago with a long term elderly collector who had an enormous collection full of rarities, which had spilled all over his house, including a giant Diplodocus model in his kitchen*.

He was asked if his wife minded all this, but then revealed that she had left him! I always wondered if the two were connected, was his collecting too serious and did he put it before his loved ones? It made me realise the importance of keeping things in perspective....


*Much bigger than the new Safari Patagotitan!

I think that might have been jungle Jim Hayes. Not spoken to him for a good while, he is a real character.

[Shonisaurus]

From my point of view, a serious collector (unfortunately I am not) is the one in this case in relation to the dinosaurs who is critical of the figures from the scientific point of view, that is, who is knowledgeable in paleontology, who knows take care of your figures and classify them by geological epochs or by brands of toy dinosaurs.

That he understands about all kinds of vintage, old or discontinued non-vintage and modern brands. That he is never wrong about figures, whatever the brand.

That he knows how to analyze a toy dinosaur figure from a critical point of view, which is not limited to PVC figures but to other figures from other brands, resin, vinyl or even makes kit figures.

A good collector is not incompatible with being an artist, that is to say that he paints or decorates or changes the shape of his dinosaur figures, on the contrary, he enhances the figure of the collector.

Also keep in mind that a highly experienced collector knows in detail the history of each toy dinosaur company or at least has a complete mental record of a sizable portion of especially vintage toy dinosaur companies and is knowledgeable in the field. matter as I have already commented, both scientific and in relation to the product.

And also that he is an experienced photographer of his figures and above all that he invests considerable time and money in collecting. For me that is a good collector. But for that you need a large amount of knowledge of all kinds and a well-balanced financial portfolio and a lot of time. For me, that is a collector and that can be extended to a collector of stamps, trains, planes, an expert in collecting old weapons (oploteca) to give several examples.

[Dinoguy2]

I consider myself a serious collector of some things but not others. Reflecting about that difference, for me, I think this comes down to parameters and curation - knowing what you collect, what you will want/need to get for your collection to be complete, and what you do not need. In my case I would say I seriously collect Carnegie figures. I'm pretty knowledgeable about the line, and I'm just as interested in the history, production, "lore" and ancillary stuff as I am the actual figures, so there's some depth to my hobby that keeps me interested. I also know which models I have, which ones I still need, and try to limit my focus so I don't just buy whatever. I dabble in other lines like modern Safari and PNSO but I'm not sure I would even say I "collect" them as a conscious activity, though I have amassed a decent collection of figures I'm not really actively thinking about what I need and when I will buy X figure. For example I would really like to have the new PNSO Doyle, I could get it on Amazon now, but it's not high priority, I'll probably wait until a sale or a gift card come along. On the other hand I have eBay alerts set for Carnegie and if, say, a particularly rare figure pops up that I don't have or that's in better condition than one I do, I'm prepared to pounce on it at a moments notice 

But even within my collection I have an area of focus, so for example I'd be more prepared to drop big money on a rarity from inside my focus collection (original 1988 Carnegie models) than something outside it (like the FAO Schwartz box set of early 2000s models that recently popped up for sale - a very cool piece and extremely rare, but not within my focus area so not something I'm really willing to drop big bucks on).

So, in summary, I think one way to be a serious collector is to curate your collection carefully and focus in on what the "core" of your collection is going to be. This will also prevent your house from starting to look like Don Glut's 

[Ikessauro]

I agree with several points stated here. I think what defines a collector as a serious one is the sum of collecting time and effort/dedication spent on a certain collection.

I would say a serious collector is someone who has been in the hobby for a long time, is knowledgeable about what he/she collects, really understands the community and the market for their area of interest. A serious collector knows which are (some at least) the major brands on the market, currently producing figures, where they come from, what is their price range, who is the sculptor of the models in some cases, their style (i.e. toy for kids, statue for adult collectors etc), what is their usual release schedule and so on. A serious collector knows an average value of a figure on the secondary market, because he/she has been paying attention to the community and deals that happen. A serious collector most of the time dives in the "rarity" hunt for retired figures, not all of them, but once in a while at least. This type of collector cares for their collection, likes to catalog, organize the collection in some way, to know what he/she has and has not bought yet.
One does not need to be a completist to be a serious collector.

[dyno77]

Your right ,really good points made. As a longtime collector iv got so many books on dinosaurs some which are from decades ago...iv also got some replica fossils and some skulls ...i read about the history of all the toy lines as well as how each figure is made and sculpted,and that includes the sideshow statues as well.
Usually i would get most of the highly praised figures as well as a some favorites,but id leave out some mojo or schleich esp if they looked to odd or not accurate enough...but approximations are fine...
There has never been a better time to collect dinosaurs as there so many companies and figures,more than any other time i can recall ,apart from maybe the first jurassic park and dinomania which back then there was so much merchandise....

[Cretaceous Crab]

You may be a serious Dinosaur collector if...

1. You have the Dinosaur Toy Blog forum, Dan's Dinosaurs, Amazon, Happy Hen Toy Store, Everything Dinosaur, and Big Bad Toy Store bookmarked in your web browser.

2. You and your spouse have regular talks on the amount of space your collection takes up.

3. You are an adult and still ask for dinosaurs for Christmas and birthdays.

4. You have marked your calendar for when the next wave of Jurassic World Mattel toys are released.

5. You have a monthly allowance for Dinosaur related purchases.

6. You have no degree in paleontology but your friends usually ask you about dino stuff.

7. You may decline to get a Dinosaur figure because it isn't to scale with the rest of your collection.

8. You've read all the dinosaur books at your local library.

9. You have contacted at least one company about the scientific accuracy of their figures.

10. You have an active account with at least two figure companies.

[Stegotyranno420]

You may be a serious Dinosaur collector if...

1. You have the Dinosaur Toy Blog forum, Dan's Dinosaurs, Amazon, Happy Hen Toy Store, Everything Dinosaur, and Big Bad Toy Store bookmarked in your web browser.

2. You and your spouse have regular talks on the amount of space your collection takes up.

3. You are an adult and still ask for dinosaurs for Christmas and birthdays.

4. You have marked your calendar for when the next wave of Jurassic World Mattel toys are released.

5. You have a monthly allowance for Dinosaur related purchases.

6. You have no degree in paleontology but your friends usually ask you about dino stuff.

7. You may decline to get a Dinosaur figure because it isn't to scale with the rest of your collection.

8. You've read all the dinosaur books at your local library.

9. You have contacted at least one company about the scientific accuracy of their figures.

10. You have an active account with at least two figure companies.

Wow I am surprisingly close. This is my favorite response aswell

[Georassic]

You may be a serious Dinosaur collector if...

1. You have the Dinosaur Toy Blog forum, Dan's Dinosaurs, Amazon, Happy Hen Toy Store, Everything Dinosaur, and Big Bad Toy Store bookmarked in your web browser.

2. You and your spouse have regular talks on the amount of space your collection takes up.

3. You are an adult and still ask for dinosaurs for Christmas and birthdays.

4. You have marked your calendar for when the next wave of Jurassic World Mattel toys are released.

5. You have a monthly allowance for Dinosaur related purchases.

6. You have no degree in paleontology but your friends usually ask you about dino stuff.

7. You may decline to get a Dinosaur figure because it isn't to scale with the rest of your collection.

8. You've read all the dinosaur books at your local library.

9. You have contacted at least one company about the scientific accuracy of their figures.

10. You have an active account with at least two figure companies.

A great checklist! I scored 7.5 out of 10. I missed on #4 and #8, and I get half a point for #2. She stopped questioning/teasing me a few years ago.

[ceratopsian]

Sadly I score only 2 by these criteria.  Only 1 on further reflection, as I don't think I would actually qualify for point 10.  I think there have to be other ways of defining "serious"!

[Cretaceous Crab]

Sadly I score only 2 by these criteria.  Only 1 on further reflection, as I don't think I would actually qualify for point 10.  I think there have to be other ways of defining "serious"!

Oh definitely.

Honestly though, IMO there's definitely levels of how devoted one can be to this hobby. It's one thing to simply like dinosaurs. And of course, there's nothing wrong with that within itself. Instead of using terms like "beginner" and "advanced," etc., I like to think of it like Levels. Because one may stay at one level for some time, and occasionally go through periods of going down a level. We all vary in our preferences and budget.

Level 1 - the "mild" dinosaur enthusiast, you may own a Jurassic Park t-shirt, one of those coffee mugs that turn the dinosaurs into skeletons when hot liquid is poured in; probably hung on to a few Carnegie or Safari figures from your childhood or even a Dino-Riders or vintage JP toy, and perhaps a few dino-themed knickknacks. You likely don't spend a lot of time searching for figures, merely picking one up whenever it catches your eye.

Level 2 - the "average/intermediate" collector, you target more specific items, like snagging a Safari Ltd figure every time you visit a museum or T-Rex Cafe, or specifically keeping an eye out at flea markets and yard sales, and saving up for the more highly sought figures when they reach the right price on Amazon.

Level 3 - the "serious/dedicated" collector, you definitely are paying attention to things like shelf space, scientific accuracy, particular size scales, specific geological formations, etc. You know what you like and you don't just buy any figure that you come across. You probably have at least one nice display case or cabinet in a prominent spot in your residence devoted to your figures. You may start venturing into repainting some figures or pay someone to do so. You may even dabble in creating your own figures for 3D printing.

Level 4 - the "high roller" collector, you don't hesitate to purchase high-dollar items if they are on your wishlist.  You may have your own establishment social media platform, for showcasing or reviewing figures, and possibly a regular contributor to the DTB. You likely have a large or multiple display cases in your home. You possibly have sculpt, model or painting figures professionally.

Level 5 - the "crazy" collector,  your property is overrun with dinosaurs. We're talking life-sized sculptures and models in the yard, signs for Dinosaur crossing, etc. Maybe even charge admission! You may even make your large sculptures. You probably are in a bidding war to purchase a used animatronic from Jurassic Quest or some similar venue.

[ceratopsian]

Well I have jokingly suggested to my husband that a life-sized herbivorous dinosaur in the wilder area at the bottom of our garden is just what we need to complement the indoor model room!

[RobinGoodfellow]

Sadly I score only 2 by these criteria.  Only 1 on further reflection, as I don't think I would actually qualify for point 10.  I think there have to be other ways of defining "serious"!

Oh definitely.

Honestly though, IMO there's definitely levels of how devoted one can be to this hobby. It's one thing to simply like dinosaurs. And of course, there's nothing wrong with that within itself. Instead of using terms like "beginner" and "advanced," etc., I like to think of it like Levels. Because one may stay at one level for some time, and occasionally go through periods of going down a level. We all vary in our preferences and budget.

Level 1 - the "mild" dinosaur enthusiast, you may own a Jurassic Park t-shirt, one of those coffee mugs that turn the dinosaurs into skeletons when hot liquid is poured in; probably hung on to a few Carnegie or Safari figures from your childhood or even a Dino-Riders or vintage JP toy, and perhaps a few dino-themed knickknacks. You likely don't spend a lot of time searching for figures, merely picking one up whenever it catches your eye.

Level 2 - the "average/intermediate" collector, you target more specific items, like snagging a Safari Ltd figure every time you visit a museum or T-Rex Cafe, or specifically keeping an eye out at flea markets and yard sales, and saving up for the more highly sought figures when they reach the right price on Amazon.

Level 3 - the "serious/dedicated" collector, you definitely are paying attention to things like shelf space, scientific accuracy, particular size scales, specific geological formations, etc. You know what you like and you don't just buy any figure that you come across. You probably have at least one nice display case or cabinet in a prominent spot in your residence devoted to your figures. You may start venturing into repainting some figures or pay someone to do so. You may even dabble in creating your own figures for 3D printing.

Level 4 - the "high roller" collector, you don't hesitate to purchase high-dollar items if they are on your wishlist.  You may have your own establishment social media platform, for showcasing or reviewing figures, and possibly a regular contributor to the DTB. You likely have a large or multiple display cases in your home. You possibly have sculpt, model or painting figures professionally.

Level 5 - the "crazy" collector,  your property is overrun with dinosaurs. We're talking life-sized sculptures and models in the yard, signs for Dinosaur crossing, etc. Maybe even charge admission! You may even make your large sculptures. You probably are in a bidding war to purchase a used animatronic from Jurassic Quest or some similar venue.

..not to mention   Level 6 - the "John Hammond"  : you have your own Natural History Museum or your personal Dinosaurs Park on a remote island (with living creatures on it) ....      

[Libraraptor]

I´d be between "Level 3" and "Level 4" on this scale then.

[BlueKrono]

Of the first list I meet only 2 or 3 qualifications. But on the second I'd say I'm a Level 4 collector. I may be losing my income soon though, so that may have to change.